Before Sunday night’s preseason NFL game between San Francisco and the Green Bay Packers, 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand up during the national anthem. This caused much indignation and outrage. It forced the 49ers to release a statement on the situation and Colin explained his reasoning:
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
New York Giants standout receiver Victor Cruz disagreed with Kaepernick’s decision.
“I think, personally, the flag is the flag. Regardless of how you feel about things that are going on in America today and things that are going on across the world with gun violence and things of that nature, you’ve got to respect the flag. You’ve got to stand up with your teammates. It’s bigger than just you, in my opinion. I think you go up there, your with your team, and you pledge your allegiance to the flag and sing the national anthem with your team. And then you go about your business no matter what your beliefs are.”
To get a different and very valued opinion of the controversy, the Independent Journal Review set out to gather the viewpoint of Dorian Majied, an Army Ranger veteran who served in Iraq.
“To refuse to stand for the National Anthem is his right as an American, and I support that right, however I do not agree with that action,” the veteran said.
Majied had this to say about Kaepernick’s decision:
“I understand Kaepernick’s intention, however I disagree with his means. His NBA counterparts protested the same ideas in a way that neither hurt the country, nor ignored the ideals that people of color have fought and died which; ideals represented by the symbolism of the American Flag and words of the National Anthem.
As a member of a national organization, reaping the benefits of a country that apparently oppresses people who look like him, his argument is thin on a personal level.”
Dorian provided alternative methods of protest and ways the 49ers QB could have raised awareness:
“Doing what Dwayne Wade and company did at a game opener to support BLM, or making a public verbal statement as Carmelo Anthony did, or even a written statement as Michael Jordan did are all more appropriate acts of protest.
He could write his congressman, he could petition, he could picket, he could join the service and actually fight for the rights he seems to think are not offered to him; his sitting through the National Anthem was a lazy lack of will and brain power.”
Majied then perfectly explained why Kaepernick’s perceived publicity stunt was not well-received by many:
“To disrespect the country that has afforded him the opportunities and fortunes he acquired is only made more offensive by the fact that his life is the personification of the ideals I see in the American flag and National Anthem: a biracial child, raised by white parents, and who has accomplished much despite his “oppression.” In how many more nations around the world can a story like that come to fruition?”
The Army Ranger veteran ended his perspicacious commentary with these astute assessments:
He made valid points, I’m not ignoring that there are still issues with race in America. However, he is ignoring the positive ideals of America that every colored person who has ever served, fought–while some died–for, by refusing to stand. Proper action is exactly that, action, not the inaction of not standing because he couldn’t think of a better way to protest. Kaepernick was wrong in his delivery and protested the wrong symbols of America. The American flag and National Anthem represent the highest of American ideals, not the lowest ideals.”
Thank you Dorian Majied for your service and for sharing your insightful thoughts on this complicated and delicate matter.